The present invention relates to checkout systems in supermarkets and other retail establishments, and more specifically to an item processing system and method which track label usage.
Checkout systems typically include barcode readers. Today, nearly all products are labelled with barcodes, either by the manufacturers or the retailers of such products.
Barcode readers come in various types for various purposes. The most common scanners are optical barcode readers which include lasers and mirrors for generating a scan pattern. Some are mounted in checkout counters, while others are portable and hand-held. An example barcode reader is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,588 assigned to the assignee of the present invention. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference.
Some items would not be identifiable and recordable by a barcode reader, if they were labelled with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) labels rather than barcode labels. RFID technology provides an alternative to bar code reader technology for distinguishing and recording items for purchase. Some of the uses of RFID technology are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,394 assigned to the assignee of the present invention. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference.
It would be desirable to track items which don""t have RFID labels in order to influence manufacturers to use RFID labels.
In accordance with the present invention, an item processing system and method which track label usage is provided.
The item processing system includes a barcode reader, a radio frequency label interrogator, and a computer which obtains first identification information from the barcode reader and second identification information from the radio frequency label interrogator, which associates receipt of the first identification information with an item if the item includes a barcode label, and which associates receipt of the second identification information with the item if the item includes a radio frequency label.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an item processing system and method which track label usage.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of collecting data on the usage of barcode labels and RFID labels by manufacturers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of RFID usage data using an item checkout apparatus which reads both barcode labels and RFID labels.